Amanda Knox was seen smiling and hugging a friend at Rome's Fiumicino airport
as she prepared to board a flight bound for the United States via London

Amanda Knox, 24, who was last night cleared of murdering of British student Meredith Kercher, thanked supporters as she prepared to return home to Seattle after four years in jail.

Corrado Maria Daclon, the secretary general of the Italy-USA Foundation, who accompanied her on the trip from Caponne prison near Perugia to Rome, said Amanda was “serene”.

He added: "Amanda told me that she was really keen to publicly thank the many Italians who supported her in these years of unjust incarceration and who believed in her and in her innocence. She confirmed to me that in the future she’d like to return to Italy."